THE ESSENTIALS

ACTS 15:13-35

NASB

13 After they had stopped speaking, [a]James answered, saying, “Brethren, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. 15 With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written,

16 ‘AFTER THESE THINGS I will return,

AND I WILL REBUILD THE [a]TABERNACLE OF DAVID WHICH HAS FALLEN,

AND I WILL REBUILD ITS RUINS,

AND I WILL RESTORE IT,

17 SO THAT THE REST OF [a]MANKIND MAY SEEK THE LORD,

AND ALL THE GENTILES [b]WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME,’

18 SAYS THE LORD, WHO [a]MAKES THESE THINGS KNOWN FROM LONG AGO.

19 Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, 20 but that we write to them that they abstain from [a]things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood. 21 For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since [a]he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas —Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren, 23 and they [a]sent this letter by them,

“The apostles and the brethren who are elders, to the brethren in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings.

24 “Since we have heard that some [a]of our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls,

25 it seemed good to us, having [a]become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

26 men who have [a]risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

27 “Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will also report the same things by word of mouth.

28 “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials:

29 that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; [a]if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.”

30 So when they were sent away, they went down to Antioch; and having gathered the [a]congregation together, they delivered the letter. 31 When they had read it, they rejoiced because of its [a]encouragement. 32 Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, [a]encouraged and strengthened the brethren with a lengthy message. 33 After they had spent time there, they were sent away from the brethren in peace to those who had sent them out. 34 [[a]But it seemed good to Silas to remain there.] 35 But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and preaching with many others also, the word of the Lord.

15:13 [a]Or Jacob 15:16 [a]Or tent 15:17 [a]Gr anthropoi [b]Lit upon whom My name is called 15:18 [a]Or does these things which were known 15:20 [a]Lit the pollutions of 15:21 [a]I.e. the books of Moses, Gen through Deut 15:23 [a]Lit wrote by their hand 15:24 [a]Lit from us 15:25 [a]Or met together 15:26 [a]Lit given over 15:29 [a]Lit from which keeping yourselves free 15:30 [a]Or multitude 15:31 [a]Or exhortation 15:32 [a]Or exhorted 15:34 [a]Early mss do not contain this v

NLT

13 When they had finished, James stood and said, “Brothers, listen to me. 14 Peter[*] has told you about the time God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people for himself. 15 And this conversion of Gentiles is exactly what the prophets predicted. As it is written:

16 ‘Afterward I will return

and restore the fallen house[*] of David.

I will rebuild its ruins

and restore it,

17 so that the rest of humanity might seek the LORD,

including the Gentiles —

all those I have called to be mine.

The LORD has spoken —

18 he who made these things known so long ago.’[*]

19 “And so my judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from eating food offered to idols, from sexual immorality, from eating the meat of strangled animals, and from consuming blood. 21 For these laws of Moses have been preached in Jewish synagogues in every city on every Sabbath for many generations.”

22 Then the apostles and elders together with the whole church in Jerusalem chose delegates, and they sent them to Antioch of Syria with Paul and Barnabas to report on this decision. The men chosen were two of the church leaders[*] —Judas (also called Barsabbas) and Silas. 23 This is the letter they took with them:

“This letter is from the apostles and elders, your brothers in Jerusalem. It is written to the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. Greetings!

24 “We understand that some men from here have troubled you and upset you with their teaching, but we did not send them! 25 So we decided, having come to complete agreement, to send you official representatives, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We are sending Judas and Silas to confirm what we have decided concerning your question.

28 “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden on you than these few requirements: 29 You must abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. If you do this, you will do well. Farewell.”

30 The messengers went at once to Antioch, where they called a general meeting of the believers and delivered the letter. 31 And there was great joy throughout the church that day as they read this encouraging message.

32 Then Judas and Silas, both being prophets, spoke at length to the believers, encouraging and strengthening their faith. 33 They stayed for a while, and then the believers sent them back to the church in Jerusalem with a blessing of peace.[*] 35 Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch. They and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord there.

[15:14] Greek Simeon. [15:16] Or kingdom; Greek reads tent. [15:16-18] Amos 9:11-12 (Greek version); Isa 45:21. [15:22] Greek were leaders among the brothers. [15:33] Some manuscripts add verse 34, But Silas decided to stay there.

In 2003, a book hit the shelves that described a recent revolution in the historic game of baseball. Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game tells the story of the Oakland Athletics and their revolutionary approach to selecting and fielding players.[144] While other teams evaluated players based on intangible qualities, such as confidence, physical potential, leadership, and intelligence, the team’s front office ignored all subjective factors, choosing instead to evaluate players by their objective statistics. Baseball teams win by getting men on base and then home. When choosing players, recruiters asked the fundamental, bottom-line question, “Does the player get on base?” By focusing on this essential ability, the team started winning games. Lots of games.

It seems odd that recruiting players based solely on their ability to get on base would be considered revolutionary. After more than one hundred years of professional baseball, recruiters had become so sophisticated in their evaluations that they lost sight of the most basic requirement of success. But we shouldn’t be too hard on them. It can happen to anyone. In fact, it happened to the church before the first generation of leaders had passed away. The Council at Jerusalem, unpleasant as it was, gave the apostles and the elders an opportunity to refocus the church on the essentials of the Christian life.

After much debate, Peter sealed the discussion with a sobering reminder. Theology is a necessary discipline. We should be biblical and logical in all our spiritual deliberations. When God speaks directly to an issue, however, all discussion ceases. By giving His Spirit to the uncircumcised Gentiles, authenticating them as genuine believers and citizens of His kingdom, God settled the matter. Clearly, eternal salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. With all in agreement, the leaders needed to inform the churches and to answer the question on everyone’s mind: What does God expect of Christians under the new covenant?

— 15:13 —

By this time, James, the half brother of Jesus, had become the functional leader of the church in Jerusalem (12:17; 21:18; Gal. 2:9). Scripture regards him an apostle in the broader sense of the term (Gal. 1:19; cf. 1 Cor. 15:5-7). According to church tradition, most of the Twelve had departed to carry the gospel to various parts of the world. Peter traveled around the region but didn’t go far from Jerusalem. He (and perhaps John) remained close in order to provide spiritual guidance and instruction. He had been with Jesus from the beginning. He had received personalized instruction from the Lord for no fewer than three years, and he had been personally commissioned by Jesus to “tend My sheep” (John 21:17). He, with the other apostles, bore the oral teaching of the Master until the New Testament Scriptures were completed and distributed. James appears to have given leadership to the church in practical matters.

At the end of the discussion, he commented on Peter’s defense of grace in preparation for a proposed course of action.

— 15:14-18 —

As the leader of the church in functional matters, James brought the deliberations to a conclusion and announced the council’s official resolution on the matter. He first validated Peter’s conclusion by citing Old Testament Scripture, proving that God had always planned to bring Gentiles into His kingdom. His support came from Amos 9:11-12, but the actual words recorded by Luke differ slightly from our Hebrew texts of this prophetic passage.

COMPARISON OF AMOS 9:11-12 IN ACTS 15:16-18

Translated from Hebrew	Translated from the Septuagint (NETS)	Luke’s Account of James’s Citation
“In that day	“On that day	“After these things I will return,
I will raise up the fallen booth of David, and wall up its breaches;	I will raise up the tent of David that is fallen	and I will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen,
I will also raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old;	and rebuild its ruins and raise up its destruction, and rebuild it as the days of old	and I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it,
that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by My name,”	in order that those remaining of humans and all nations upon whom my name has been called might seek out me,”	so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by My name,”
declares the LORD who does this.	says the Lord who does these things.[145]	says the Lord.

James probably spoke in colloquial Hebrew or Aramaic at the council, Luke rendered his speech in Greek, and we have Luke’s account translated into English. Beneath these layers of translation, we also have Amos 9:11-12 translated from Hebrew into Greek, a text we know as the Septuagint, produced around 200 BC.

Though similar in most respects, James’s citation of Amos 9:11-12 differs slightly from our modern English translations from the Hebrew Old Testament, but it agrees with the ancient Greek translation known as the Septuagint. There the words “men,” “mankind,” and “humans” all presuppose the Hebrew word ‘adam [H120]. In our modern translations from the Hebrew text of Amos 9:12, “Edom” presupposes the Hebrew word ‘Edom [H123]. At the time of the Septuagint and in the first century, the Hebrew script didn’t make consistent use of vowels, so the Hebrew words for “Edom” and “mankind” would have appeared the same. It depended on the reader to determine whether the original author meant to refer to the region of Edom or to humanity in general. Some ancient scribes who supplied vowel markings for the traditional Hebrew text upon which our English translations rest apparently understood the text as “remnant of Edom,” while others, including the Septuagint translators and James, understood it as “remnant of mankind.”

James’s citation also agrees with the Septuagint on another point that differs from the traditional Hebrew text: Rather than reading “they may possess,” it reads “[they] may seek,” which reflects a difference of just one letter in Hebrew (a daleth in the Septuagint in place of a yod). Thus the remnant would “seek” the Lord.

James shared the scholarly opinion of the Septuagint translators that the text should be read as “the rest of mankind may seek” rather than “they may possess the remnant of Edom.” The text, then, would show that God intends to use Israel as a means of reaching the Gentiles. James didn’t, however, mean to imply that the church was fulfilling all that Amos prophesied. The oracle of Amos describes the restoration of Israel, which hasn’t happened yet. James merely used the prophecy to demonstrate that the Lord had always intended to bring elect Gentiles into His kingdom.

— 15:19-21 —

James proposed that the council issue an official proclamation affirming grace (God’s kindness alone, without works) as the only means of salvation. The expression “do not trouble those who are turning to God” is critical (15:19). The phrase identifies any addition of works (circumcision, baptism, Law keeping —any human activity other than simple belief, childlike trust, or genuine faith) as a man-made obstacle to God’s agenda. He did, however, add a few practical principles to make the relationship between Jews and Gentiles in the church easier to maintain and to prevent unnecessary stumbling blocks to Jews outside the faith. These special commandments given in this particular historical situation don’t necessarily imply that such rules need to be followed in perpetuity. They addressed a specific issue at a certain time.

James noted that the Law of Moses was widely read in synagogues throughout the Roman Empire (15:21). Many Jews in these locations would become Christians. Even though they would no longer try to obey the Law as a means of earning God’s favor, they would still find repulsive anything associated with idol worship and sexual impurity. These Jewish believers would also shudder at the prospect of eating meat from a strangled animal that hadn’t been properly bled (15:20). For the sake of unity, Gentile believers should voluntarily defer to the dietary sensibilities of their Jewish brothers and sisters. Moreover, this would remove dietary scruples as an obstacle when presenting the gospel to nonbelieving Jews.

— 15:22-27 —

The decision won unanimous agreement from “the apostles and the elders, with the whole church” (15:22). The council upheld the doctrine of grace alone while addressing some of the valid concerns presented by believing Pharisees. Theological truth won the day, but not at the expense of love. Indeed, grace leaves the believer free to set aside personal freedom for the sake of unity in the body. As the great Protestant motto states, “In essentials unity, in nonessentials liberty, in all things charity.” As a unified body, the church in Jerusalem drafted a letter and placed it in the care of four men: Paul, Barnabas, Judas (also called Barsabbas), and Silas.

Paul and Barnabas were, of course, very public champions of grace in this matter, so the council sent along with them two witnesses to verify that the resolution was both authentic and unanimous. The names Judas and Barsabbas are the Greek renderings of the patently Jewish “Judah, the son of the Sabbath.” He may have been the brother of Joseph (also called Barsabbas or Justus), who was one of the two candidates put forward to become the twelfth apostle (cf. 1:23). Silas, as a Roman citizen (cf. 16:37), could speak from the Hellenistic perspective.

Although the letter applied to all the churches, the council specifically addressed the resolution to the churches of the northwest Mediterranean: the lead church in Antioch and the churches in surrounding Syria, as well as in the region of Cilicia, where Paul’s hometown of Tarsus was. It appears that by this time the churches in Galatia, where Paul and Barnabas had ministered on the first missionary journey, were struggling with this issue as well (cf. Gal. 1:6; 2:3-4), but Paul already had written a strong letter upholding the doctrine of grace. Furthermore, plans had not been laid for a visit to Galatia, at least not in the immediate future.

— 15:28-29 —

The council didn’t offer a lengthy defense for the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith, it didn’t recount its deliberations over the issue of circumcision, and it didn’t issue a creed to uphold the original message of grace. The council recognized that the Gentiles came to Christianity by the true gospel of grace, and they labeled unauthorized teachers who taught otherwise disturbing and unsettling (15:24). In other words, the council effectively let the original message of the gospel stand.

The church leaders did, however, feel compelled by the Holy Spirit to “burden” the Gentile believers with two necessities: do not offend Jewish sensibilities —which find idols and blood-tainted meat especially repugnant —and abstain from sexual immorality (15:28-29). The word “fornication” (porneia [4202]) is an umbrella term for a broad range of sexual sin, not just adultery. The term, originally associated with prostitution, eventually grew to encompass a broad range of illicit sexual activities, including adultery, homosexuality, incest, bestiality, and child molestation.

Notably, the church leaders characterized these requests as “essential burdens.” The Greek word for “burden” (baros [922]) pictures someone perpetually carrying an additional weight. Any decision to give up a freedom for the greater good of all is a burden. Nevertheless, the council, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, considered these burdens “essential” (epanagkes [1876]), something compulsory. The council felt compelled by the Holy Spirit and therefore felt led to exercise its authority to likewise compel the Gentile believers. Nevertheless, the provisions were not essential for salvation, but for unity; if you follow these directives, “you will do well” (15:29) —not “you will be saved.” Grace is indeed freedom from the requirements of the Law in terms of salvation, but grace does not declare moral standards wrong or even inferior. As Timothy Keller notes, “Luther so persistently expounded —‘We are saved by faith alone, but not by faith which is alone.’ That is, we are saved, not by anything we do, but by grace. Yet if we have truly understood and believed the gospel, it will change what we do and how we live.”[146] Not the least of those changes will be an increasing hatred of idols and a deepening love for others.

— 15:30-35 —

In Greek, the expression translated as “sent away” (15:30; apolyō [630]) doesn’t carry the same connotation of rejection as in English; here, it means “commissioned” or “sent with authority and blessing.” The council sent the delegation to report the council’s resolution to the affected churches. The church in Syrian Antioch was the hub of Christian communication and activity, and when they heard the letter, they rejoiced. Notably, they received the “burdens” with no less enthusiasm than the affirmation of grace; indeed, they considered it “encouragement” (15:31). Judas and Silas, sent as attesting witnesses to the authenticity of the letter and the unanimity of the council, preached messages that “encouraged” (parakaleō [3870]) and “strengthened” (epistērizō [1991]) the congregation (15:32). As for encouragement, the Lord used the related term “Helper” (paraklētos [3875]) to describe the Holy Spirit in His ministry of training, encouraging, correcting, comforting, cheering, and challenging believers (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7; see 1 Jn. 2:1). And Luke uses epistērizō several times to describe the apostles’ work of strengthening both their converts and the churches they planted (Acts 14:22; 15:32, 41; 18:23).

After reading the letter in Antioch, the delegation was sent to the other churches in Syria and Cilicia, to whom the communiqué had been addressed (15:33).[147] Acts 15:35 is another of Luke’s summary verses, in this case telling us that Paul and Barnabas returned to minister in Antioch after completing their task as emissaries. The Greek term translated “stayed” (diatribō [1304]) is a colorful expression meaning “to rub through.” The idea is that someone remains in one place long enough to leave a mark or make an impression. More than simply describing sticking around, the word implies activity.

Paul and Barnabas continued their ministry of “teaching” and “preaching.” The latter term is euangelizō [2097], “to announce good news” or in the Christian context, “to preach the gospel.” They didn’t do this alone; “many others” worked alongside them.

APPLICATION: ACTS 15:13-35

Liberty and Love

When the two opposing factions met in Jerusalem to discuss the issue of circumcision, make no mistake: Grace was on trial. The issue of circumcision merely stood as a symbol of obedience to the Law; the procedure itself produced an outward sign of an inner commitment to obey God. The proponents of circumcision asked a reasonable question: “Why not insist that Gentiles commit to obedience?” Luke calls them believers, so undoubtedly they understood the doctrine of grace. Nevertheless, they succumbed to a reasonable fear. Grace, if it is genuine, leaves open the possibility for abuse. Liberty from the demands of the Law can devolve into a license to sin. What’s to keep people from becoming less moral instead of developing a stronger ethical conscience?

The letter written by the council to address this question of what God expects of Christians under the new covenant applied three principles concerning grace.

First, legalism results in an emphasis on works. The council recognized that any addition to grace, regardless of how small or seemingly insignificant, not only pollutes the gospel but also opens the door to the same kind of legalism that characterized the Pharisees in the temple. We see this today in denominations that insist, “Unless you are baptized, you cannot be saved” (cf. 15:1). This one slight stipulation in addition to simple belief leads to an obsessive focus on external behavior, such that the entire body becomes defined by its dos and don’ts.

A focus on the Law invariably leads to guilt. Once guilt has accomplished its purpose in driving the individual to repentance of sin and faith in Christ, it has served its purpose. At that point, another dynamic takes over. The Holy Spirit begins a process of transformation. Whereas legalism thrives on guilt and creates fear and hopelessness in the individual, grace thrives on love, which drives out fear and inspires hope —a confident expectation of future victory over sin and death.

Second, license results in an emphasis on self. License is the attitude that says, “Because of grace, I can do as I please without consequences.” An attitude of license reveals the true object of one’s love. People who truly understand the meaning of grace, however, cannot help but love the God who saved them (Luke 7:41-47). People who see grace as a license to sin merely reveal their deep love for sin rather than for God and neighbor. As the Lord stated, “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth” (Luke 16:13). The same is true of sin.

The impact of license is offense, not only against God, but against others as well. The inevitable result of license is division. Interpersonal wounds. Relationships that cannot be repaired until the person guilty of license repents of sin and seeks grace from his or her peers.

Third, grace results in an emphasis on Christ. If license reveals a love for sin and self, a true understanding of grace leads to ever-increasing love for the Lord and an ever-deepening commitment to His ways. The inevitable impact of grace is love for others. Fortunately, grace does not leave us alone to love and obey out of our own strength. The grace of God carries us beyond the moment of salvation to equip us for supernatural love and obedience. We bear the “burden” of restricting our own freedom for the sake of Christ and others, but we do not bear it without His Holy Spirit.